(Posted 2024 June)
Meet Justina Johnson, Hospital Accompaniment Support Advocate & ADAPT Co-Facilitator
Tell us a little about yourself. What is your professional background?
I started my career in small minority-owned businesses, wearing multiple hats, from proposal management to project and marketing support. I later transitioned to publishing, leading teams in web development and digital marketing and enhancing customer service for over 175 accounts. I decided to return to government contracting while simultaneously growing a security startup, advancing from general manager to vice president during my four-year tenure. I founded Valkyrie Solutions in 2022, a management consulting firm that focuses on elevating the voices and positions of women and minorities in the corporate world.
How long have you been volunteering? What led to your initial desire to volunteer and serve others?
I officially began volunteering in June 2023. I came to the bittersweet realization through sharing my own story that I am far from alone in my experience with interpersonal violence and sexual assault. This trend began to emerge in conversations with my female family and friends and eventually led me to share my story on TikTok, which sort of “blew up.” After that, I had complete strangers reaching out to me on all social media platforms, disclosing their personal experiences with IPV/SA—some of them disclosing for the first time. It was overwhelming, but it was also healing. People in my broader community eventually stumbled upon my story and similarly reached out to tell their stories; some of those stories were ongoing. Through all of this, I realized I needed to do more than talk about it. I needed to participate in the effort to end IPV and SA.
What interested you in volunteering with Fairfax County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Services?
I had recently completed training with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and sought volunteer opportunities to put that training to use. Initially, I found the Fairfax County DSVS volunteer opportunities just by searching for local volunteer programs. Unsure of what volunteer advocacy looked like, I read about the Hospital Accompaniment Support Advocate and ADAPT programs and felt drawn most to those two services. After the Tier 1 and program-specific training, I felt confident that this was the right program and the right group of volunteers to work alongside.
What is the most challenging part of volunteering? How did you overcome this challenge?
For HASA, you never really know what to expect. My first accompaniment was for a child whose parents did not speak English as their first language. I felt completely out of my depth at first. Thankfully, Kendal stayed with me for the first hour or so of the accompaniment, which helped me gain some confidence. I don’t know that I overcame anything so much as the child’s demeanor gave me hope. For ADAPT, I often find myself becoming defensive (internally) toward the words and thoughts some of the group members share. Keeping my mouth shut has served me best in these instances. I have gained considerable patience in these instances, and more importantly, I’ve learned to really empathize with perspectives that differ from mine, especially the perspectives that stereotype certain groups of people. I’ve learned that all these not-so-accurate— or altogether false— ideas take root in very real pain and lived experience. This group has really challenged me to look at a person and find the common humanity between us rather than focus on the prejudice that separates us.
What's the best part of volunteering? Share your most memorable experience.
Seeing the impact we have on the people and community we serve has been the most rewarding aspect of volunteering. Of my experiences as a volunteer thus far, I will never forget my first hospital companion. The victim/survivor was a child whose parents did not speak English. We played a few games while the SANE nurse interviewed their parents. Just hearing them laugh made me feel that, while the child certainly had some emotional challenges ahead, they were going to be OK. Just seeing that resilience encouraged me to exercise some resilience of my own. The highlight of that accompaniment was hearing the child say, “I didn’t think I would have this much fun.” I wanted to cry and melt at the same time.
What has been your favorite training? What did you like about it? What did you learn?
Of the trainings I’ve participated in thus far, I’ve enjoyed the program-specific trainings for HASA and ADAPT. For HASA, I learned so much about the services we offer as a county to victims and survivors. I didn’t realize we had such a robust offering of services to a typically underserved group of people. I also enjoyed learning skills and best practices to communicate with victims and survivors in a way that creates a real impact.
For ADAPT, I had some preconceived notions about the program we taught in groups. Learning that the program centered on emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion took me by surprise. I fully anticipated a more disciplinary approach, but I learned through the training and solidified during the subsequent 18-week observation that empathy and compassion do far better than punishment, accusation, and ostracization.
What are your three greatest strengths? How have you been able to display and use these strengths when serving others?
I feel I am a strong leader and communicator. I also feel I have the capacity to be extremely empathetic. Volunteering has improved my ability to do each of these things by teaching me better ways to lead and communicate through empathy. These strengths have worked wonders for leading my team at work. I more gently hold my team members accountable. I also more effectively set boundaries for myself in all my relationships because I’ve learned to extend that same empathy toward myself and more clearly communicate my own needs.
What advice do you have for people who may be thinking about becoming DSVS volunteers?
Do it. You may be one person, but your impact, especially with the DSVS volunteer program, has such a broad reach.
What do you wish you could do more of as a volunteer?
I wish I could affect policy to have programs like ADAPT taught in schools as a requirement. I wish we could reach people sooner and prevent these tragedies from ever happening.
What are some of your hobbies and interests?
I am a musician, a dog mom of three, an avid reader, and a writer! As a musician, I sing in a wedding band that performs all over the Mid-Atlantic region. I also perform solo shows at bars and restaurants in the DMV and write original music. I will release my first single in two years at the end of May.
My youngest fur baby is a 5-year-old chocolate lab named Lizzie. She is all energy, love, and drool! My second-youngest, Whiskey, is a terrier mix. He looks like a stately old man (I sometimes call him Reginald). As he’s grown older, now 6, he’s become a bit of a chonker, but he melts your heart when he nuzzles his head between your neck and shoulders. And my oldest, Rocket, is a 7-year-old Yorkie-Chihuahua mix. He’s a big Mama’s boy, but he’s the absolute sweetest.
This article posting is part of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services' Volunteer Voices monthly newsletter for current and potential volunteers. If you're not already a volunteer, learn how to get involved. Find out about upcoming trainings, volunteer trainings, happenings around the DSVS office and information about articles, books, media recommendations and more.
Learn more about the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS).